Barking Dog Luncheonette
TWO AND A HALF STARS
1678 Third Ave., at 94th Street
(212) 831-1800
PEOPLE pubs are a dime a dozen in this town, but you don’t see dog bars every day. The prettiest one might just be a little cobalt-blue ceramic watering hole stationed outside the entrance to the Barking Dog Luncheonette.The woody eatery carries the pooch motif inside, too, with hounds on vintage posters, bulldog truck-hood ornaments, and other assorted pup bric-a-brac. Waiters sport T-shirts commanding “sit – stay,” and neighborhood patrons ranging from wriggling toddlers to serene seniors seem only too happy to comply.The little seven-stool stainless-steel counter up front gives the feeling of a diner, especially since there’s a dead-on view of a refrigerator case stocked with diet-derailing pies and cakes. The rest of the room has a more low-lit, sponged-walled ambiance, with bookcases and padded booths, but it stays true to its luncheonette designation by offering a load of daily blue-plate specials and soda-fountain specialties.The menu here lures us to homey favorites. Two hefty slabs of peppery meatloaf crowning a mound of garlicky mashed potatoes come with a pile of broccoli and carrots, just the way someone’s mom would do it. Creamy macaroni and cheese boasts a crunchy brown gratineed top and a skewer of peppers and zucchini on the side.There are more creative offerings, too. Crispy-skinned pan-roasted breast of chicken, for instance, gets extra zip from a sun-dried tomato and olive mixture. An appetizer of St. Louis-Style Toasted Ravioli, recommended by our waitress, was surprisingly good, although she couldn’t explain the name. The golden-brown fried package yields an oozing, pleasantly sharp cheese filling, which plays nicely off the marinara dip. A crab cake, however, is nothing special.Warm-weather appetites might gravitate toward sandwiches or big-bowl salads. The Country-style Fried Chicken Salad we tried was a satisfying mix of lots of greens with buttermilk dressing, topped with a moist, thinly sliced breast and red onions, the one unfortunate note being born-to-be-bland California olives.Prices range from $3.95 for soup to $14.95 for a salmon plate. The Barking Dog also serves beer and wine, so it is possible to run up a somewhat hefty tab here. And they don’t take credit cards.And yes, there’s a dessert alert. Lemony, spongelike angel-food cake with raspberry coulis makes a satisfying light choice, but if you’re tempted, the luscious chocolate brownie sundae with hot fudge sauce is worth every fatal calorie.
